Driver Arrested After Fatal Plunge Off Cliff at California’s Pescadero Beach

A car passenger in California died after a woman drove the vehicle off a cliff Thursday night, crashing onto Pescadero State Beach along the Pacific some 100 feet below.

Madeline St. Pierre, 22, was driving westbound on Pescadero Creek Road and didn’t slow or stop at the intersection, reported the California Highway Patrol (CHP).

She continued westbound through the intersection heading toward the ocean and plunged over the cliff, said officials.

The vehicle landed on its wheels, with part of it in the water, according to authorities.

St. Pierre was severely injured in the crash and was rushed to Stanford Medical Center, according to KTVU. One passenger, an unidentified 29-year-old man, was declared dead at the scene.

Another passenger in the car, a woman, was taken for medical treatment only as a precaution, said officials.

St. Pierre was later charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to CHP.

Over 30% of fatal vehicle crashes in the U.S. involve drunk drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There were 13,384 people killed in crashes that could have been preventable in 2021.